Golf club face with cover having roughness pattern

Abstract

The present disclosure pertains to composite articles, and in particular a composite face plate for a golf club-head, and methods for making the same. In certain embodiments, a composite face plate for a club-head is formed with a cross-sectional profile having a varying thickness. The face plate comprises a lay-up of multiple, composite prepreg plies. At least a portion of the plies comprise a plurality of elongated prepreg strips arranged in a predetermined criss-cross pattern in the lay-up. The prepreg strips create one or more areas of increased thickness where the strips overlap each other, thereby creating a desired profile for the plate. Metallic or polymer covers or cover layers can be used to define a striking surface.

I claim: 
     
       1. A golf club head, comprising:
 a hollow body including a crown, a sole, and a skirt; 
 a face plate positioned at a front end of the hollow body and having a front surface; and 
 a cover layer situated on the front surface of the face plate and including a peripheral rim, wherein the cover layer includes a polymer layer having a striking surface, the striking surface having a textured striking surface including a pattern of surface texture peaks formed thereon, the striking surface configured to provide a ball spin of about 2500 RPM under wet conditions; 
 wherein a surface profile kurtosis of the surface texture peaks is greater than about 1.5, 
 wherein the cover layer has a thickness between about 0.1 mm and about 2.0 mm, 
 wherein the polymer layer is of a thickness of between about 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, and the surface roughness of the striking surface is substantially periodic along at least one of a top-to-bottom direction and a toe-to-heel direction of the striking surface, the surface texture peaks having a periodic separation of about 0.5 mm and a height of about 20 μm to about 30 μm, 
 wherein the cover layer has an effective Shore D hardness of about 75 to about 90, 
 wherein the polymer is at least one of urethane and ionomer, 
 wherein the face plate includes a plurality of scorelines, 
 wherein at least a plurality of the face plate is formed of a composite, 
 wherein the composite includes a lay-up, the lay-up including overlapping regions, the overlapping regions aligned such that at least a portion of the composite fibers are angularly spaced such that the lay-up includes a maximum thickness of about 5 mm proximate to a central region and a minimum thickness of about 3 mm proximate to a peripheral region, 
 wherein the lay-up includes resin, the resin cross-linked throughout the lay-up. 
 
     
     
       2. The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate includes a metal cap, the metal cap being made of a titanium alloy.